Dispensing display rack



May 8, 1956 A. B. CONLEY, JR

DISPENSING DISPLAY RACK Filed Feb. 1. 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fig.2

Albert B. C0nIey,Jr.

INVENTOR.

y 8, 1956 A. B. CONLEY, JR 2,744,634

DISPENSING DISPLAY RACK Filed Feb. 1, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig.3

\ 1 7 4 Albert 8. Conley, Jr.

IN V EN TOR.

Mm Wynn; 3%

United States Patent DISPENSING DISPLAY RACK Albert B. Conley, In, San Bernardino, Calif. Application February 1, 1952, Serial No. 269,545

2 Claims. (Cl. 211-49) This invention relates in general to a dispensing display rack, and more particularly to a dispensing display rack adapted to be secured to a partition wall and enclosed within a display cabinet.

The primary object of this invention is to provide an improved dispensing display rack which includes a plurality of vertical standards secured to a partition wall, said standards having horizontal bars secured thereto with a plurality of dispensing racks secured thereto.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved dispensing display rack which includes a plurality of dispensing racks mounted on horizontal bars, said dispensing racks being enclosed within substantially tubular display cabinets.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved dispensing rack which may be adjusted in both width and depth so as to accommodate various sizes of articles.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved display cabinet for enclosing a dispensing rack,

said display cabinet including a rear wall secured to.

spaced vertical standards and a front wall having diagonal braces mounted thereon secured to horizontal bars carried by said vertical standards.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved dispensing rack which has a vertical portion and a curved lower portion, said curved lower portion being the dispensing portion of the rack.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved dispensing rack which may be easily hung on horizontal bars carried by vertical standards, said dispensing rack being provided with a plurality of downwardly open hooks for hooking over said horizontal bars.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved dispensing display rack which is of simple construction whereby it may be economically manufactured.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved dispensing rack having a curved lower dispensing portion, said curved lower dispensing portion being provided with opposed spring fingers adjacent the free ends thereof whereby articles mounted in the dispensing rack maybe retained between said spring fingers.

A further object of this invention is to provide an improved dispensing display rack including a support, an adjustable dispensing rack secured by said support, and a display cabinet enclosing said support means and said dispensing rack, said display cabinet providing advertisement space on a front face.

, With these objects definitely in view, this invention resides in certain novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of elements and portions as will be hereinafter described in detail in the specification, particularly pointed out in the appended claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings which form a. material part of this application, and in which:

2,744,634 Patented May 8, 1956 Figure 1 is a front elevational view of the dispensing display rack, which is the subject of this invention, secured to a partition wall, only a portion of said partition wall being illustrated;

Figure 2 is an enlarged vertical sectional view through the dispensing display rack of Figure l, the sectional view being taken just behind the front wall of the display cabinet, the partition wall on which the dispensing display rack is mounted being omitted;

Figure 3 is an enlarged partial-transverse vertical sectional view taken substantially upon the plane indicated by the section line 3-3 of Figure 1 and showing the manner in which the display cabinet and the dispensing rack is secured to the support means;

Figure 4 is an enlarged perspective view of the dispensing rack per se and showing the various details thereof including the means for adjusting the dispensing rack to accommodate various sizes of articles;

Figure 5 is an enlarged sectional view through the end portion of one of the rounded portions of the dispensing rack and showing the construction of stop means for articles and a spring finger for retaining an article in an elevated position adjacent the end of said rounded portion;

Figure 6 is a transverse vertical sectional view taken substantially upon the plane indicated by the section line 6-6 of Figure 7 and showing the construction of the rear portion of the front wall of the display cabinet; and

Figure 7 is a transverse vertical sectional view taken substantially upon the plane indicated by the section line 7--7 of Figure 6 and showing the construction of the display cabinet.

Similar characters of reference designate similar or identical elements and portions throughout the specification and throughout the different views of the drawing.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, this invention includes a supporting structure 10, a display cabinet 12 and a dispensing rack 14.

The supporting structure 10 includes a partition wall 16 to which is secured by a plurality of fasteners 18 spaced parallel vertical standards 20. Disposed adjacent the upper edge 22 of the partition wall 16, but in spaced vertical relation thereto is a first horizontal bar 24. A second horizontal bar 26 is also secured to the vertical standards 20 in spaced relation to the first horizontal bar 24 and is positioned adjacent the upper ends of the vertical standards 20.

The display cabinet 12 includes a front wall 28, a rear wall 30 in spaced parallel relation thereto and end walls 32.v As is best illustrated in Figures 6 and 7, the upper and lower edges of the walls 28, 30 and 32 of the display cabinet 12 are provided with folded edges forming stiffening flanges 34. Intermediate the ends of the walls is a substantially rectangular stiffening band 36 which is secured to each of the walls by any conventional fastening means. The display cabinet 12 is also provided with a first diagonal brace 38 secured to the rear surface of the front wall 28 adjacent the stiffening band 36. The diagonal brace 38 has a hook portion 49 at its upper end. The rear surface of the front wall 28 is also provided with a second diagonal brace 42 which extends downwardly from a point adjacent the stiffening band 36 and is provided with a downwardly directed hook portion 44 at its lower end. The hook portions 44 and 40 are in spaced vertical alignment.

Referring now to Figure 3 in particular, it will be seen that the display cabinet 12 is secured to the supporting structure 10 by sliding the entire display cabinet 12 over the vertical standards 20 and the horizontal bars 24 and 26. The display cabinet 12 is then secured to the vertical standards by a plurality of fasteners 46 passing through the vertical standards 20 and the rear wall of the display cabinet 12. The front wall 28 of the display cabinet 12 is braced by the diagonal braces 38 and 42 which have their respective hook portions and 44 in engagement over the horizontal bars 26 and 24, respectively. It will be noted that in order to realize suflicient stability for the display cabinet 12, that the front wall 28 is provided with pairs of said diagonal braces 33 and 42.

Referring now to Figure 4 in particular, it will be seen that the dispensing rack 14 includes a pair of rear angle members 48 and a pair of front angle members 50. The individual front angle members are secured together in adjustable spaces parallel relation by a plurality of links 52 pivotally secured to the front flange thereof by pivot pins 54. It will be understood that the links 52 are provided in opposed pairs and secured together by an adjustable fastener 56. In order that the front angle rnem bers 50 may be spaced apart the desired distance, the adjustable fasteners 56 are loosened and the front angle members 50 are moved to their desired position. Since the links 52 are at an angle to each other with their apices facing each other, the adjustable fasteners 56 are moved towards or away from each other when the front angle members 50 are moved to their adjusted position. After the front angle members 59 are in their desired positions, they are maintained in that position by tightening the adjustable fasteners 56. Since the rear angle members 48 are adjusted with respect to each other in the same manner, no description of the link connection therebetween will be made.

The rear angle members 48 are secured in adjusted spaced parallel relation to the front angle members 50 whereby articles of different thickness or diameter may be accommodated within the adjustable dispensing rack 14. The individual rear angle members 48 are provided with spaced arms 58 secured to their outer side flanges by a plurality of conventional fasteners 60. Each arm 58 is provided with an elongated slot 62 in which is mounted a threaded fastener 64, carried by the side flanges of the front angle members 50. The front and rear angle members are maintained in their adjusted spaced parallel relation by wing nuts 66 threadedly secured on the threaded fasteners 64.

It will be seen that the rear angle members 43 are pro vided with extensions which extend below the lower ends of the angle members 59. The extensions are rounded and referred to by the reference numeral 68. As is best illustrated in Figure 3, it is intended that the lowermost articles disposed within the rack 14 are located between the rounded extensions 68. In order that the rounded portions 68 will not have a tendency to straighten out, they are provided with diagonal braces 70 which are secured thereto by fasteners 72 and to the rear angle members 48 by fasteners 74.

As is best illustrated in Figure 5, each rounded extension portion 63 is provided with a stop block 76 secured at its end by a plurality of fasteners 78. Adjacent the stop block 76 is a cut-out 20 in the side flange portion of the rounded extension through which extends a spring finger 82 which is secured to the side flange by a plurality of fasteners 84.

As is best illustrated in Figure 3, the adjustable rack 14 is filled with a plurality of cans 86 which force the lowermost can up against the stop block 76 and compresses the opposed spring fingers 82. Due to the action of the opposed spring fingers 82, the lowermost can 86 will be retained in the position illustrated in Figure 3 regardless of whether the other cans remains in the rack to urge it against the stop 76.

When the adjustable rack 14 is intended for use with cans only, the slotted portion of the arms 58 may be supplied with indicating marks whereby the space between the rear angle members 48 and the front angle members 50 may be quickly adjusted to accommodate a certain size can.

While the adjustable rack 14 has been illustrated and described as accommodating cans, it is not intended to so limit the invention as the adjustable rack 14 may be utilized for dispensing other articles. Since the dispensing rack 14 is intended for use with a plurality of differcnt types of articles, all of the fasteners passing through to the interior of the rack are counter-sunk in the front and rear angle members so as not to impede the downward movement of the article contained within the rack.

Referring again to Figure 4, it will be seen that the rear angle members 48 are provided with spaced pairs of horizontally aligned downwardly opened hooks 88. It will be noted that the hooks 88 are provided with outwardly turned lower leg portions whereby the hooks 88 may be easily engaged over the horizontal bars 24 and 26 for supporting the racks.

The entire dispensing display rack may be secured in a convenient position in any store where an attendant may have access behind the partition wall 16 in order that the individual dispensing racks 14 may be filled with articles as the supply diminishes; or if more convenient the individual dispensing units may be unhooked and re moved individually for refilling after first removing the front cover. As is best illustrated in Figures 1 and 2, each display cabinet encloses a plurality of dispensing racks 14. It is the intention of this invention that the front wall of the display cabinet be utilized for advertisement purpose and may include marking as to the contents of each dispensing rack and the price of the article contained therein. While the display cabinet has been il lustrated as enclosing three dispensing racks 14 it will be understood that any number of dispensing racks may be enclosed within the display cabinet depending on the dimension of the display cabinet and the size of article carried by the dispensing rack.

The operation of this display rack will be understood from the foregoing description of the mechanical details thereof, taken in connection with the above recited objects and the drawings. Further description would appear to be unnecessary.

Minor modification of the display rack, varying in minor details of the embodiment of the display rack illustrated and described here, may be resorted to without departure from the spirit and scope of this invention, as defined in the appended claims.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

l. A dispensing display rack comprising a support, at least one dispensing rack mounted on said support, a display cabinet mounted on said support and enclosing the upper portion of said dispensing rack and said support, said support including a plurality of spaced vertical standards, a pair of vertically spaced horizontal bars, said rack having vertically spaced hooks engaging over said bars, said display cabinet having a rear wall secured to the rear of said standards, the front wall of said cabinet being provided with diagonal braces on its rear surface, said diagonal braces being hooked over said bars.

2. A dispensing display rack comprising a support, at least one dispensing rack mounted on said support, a display cabinet mounted on said support and enclosing the upper portion of said dispensing rack and said support, said support including a plurality of spaced vertical standards, a pair of vertically spaced horizontal bars, said rack having vertically spaced hooks engaging over said bars, said display cabinet having a rear wall secured to the rear of said standards, the front wall of said cabinet being provided with diagonal braces on its rear surface, said diagonal braces being hooked over said bars, said standards being secured to a lower wall section.

(References on following page) References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED 1 STATES PATENTS Pfau Apr. 12, 1898 Meyer Nov. 3, 1903 Louis Jan. 10, 1911 Clawson Dec. 31, 1912 Carmany Sept. 16, 1919 OConnor Feb. 3, 1925 Kendall Feb. 7, 1928 Washburn Apr. 8, 1930 Nagle Dec. 2, 1930' Sprodulski July 15, 1941 6 Sprodulski Feb. 10, 1942 Kruckewitt et a1. June 9, 1942 Black Sept. 24, 1946 Borthwick Sept. 13, 1949 Augenfeld Jan; 23, 1951 Jarrett June 10, 1952 Anderson Mar. 24, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS Denmark July 5, 1920 Great Britain Apr. 30, 1952 

